Assam floods: Shah reviews situation with CM as thousands struggle to return home
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday to review the state's flood situation, as more than 3 lakh people remained affected and many displaced residents were unable to return home because their houses were damaged or filled with mud and silt.
Shah, who spoke to Sarma for the second time in a week, assured him of all possible assistance from the Centre for relief, restoration and rebuilding efforts.
Although floodwaters have receded across much of the state, Sarma said the scale of destruction had left many people struggling to resume their lives.
"The flood situation has improved as there has been no heavy rainfall after July 21. But the problem is that the damage has been so huge," Sarma told reporters after flagging off relief materials collected by state BJP workers.
"People cannot return to their homes as their houses have either been damaged or filled with mud and silt. It is still difficult to reach some areas as roads have been blocked with mud that was carried down from the hills of Nagaland along with the water," he said.
The floods have claimed 78 lives in Assam this year, while more than 3 lakh people remained affected across seven districts.
The India Meteorological Department, however, has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms at isolated places in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland from July 30 to Aug. 1, raising concerns of renewed flooding in vulnerable areas.
The IMD issued an orange alert for Tinsukia district and parts of Nagaland, warning that heavy rain could affect Assam's Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat districts.
The rainfall could lead to waterlogging, flooding and flash floods, while increasing the risk of localised landslides in vulnerable areas, the weather department said.
Sarma said the overall flood situation had subsided and was expected to improve in the coming days, but the immediate priority was to address the difficulties faced by those affected.
"It is important now how we resolve the misery of our people," he said.
Sarma said Assam did not require international aid and that the Centre and state governments were capable of handling the crisis. He added that donations were arriving from across the country and detailed data would be released later.
Following directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sarma said he would meet representatives of banks operating in Assam on Thursday to discuss special support measures for loans taken by flood-affected people.
Shah's latest call came a week after he reviewed the situation with Sarma on July 23. In a social media post, the chief minister said the home minister had enquired about conditions on the ground and assured him that central government agencies and resources would remain available to assist Assam.
Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya also reviewed the situation at a meeting in Guwahati, with a focus on the worst-affected districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Jorhat and Golaghat.
The governor directed authorities to ensure that rescue and relief operations continued without interruption and that affected people received timely assistance.
Meanwhile, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team led by Ramachandrudu, joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, completed a four-day assessment of flood damage in Upper Assam.
The team reviewed relief, rescue and restoration efforts and was briefed on damage caused by heavy rainfall in Assam and neighbouring states, particularly in the upstream catchments of Nagaland, as well as exceptionally high localised rainfall.
(Inputs: PTI)
